Sonia Ekweremadu, the daughter of Ike Ekweremadu, a former Deputy Senate President, has expressed regret and guilt over her parents’ Friday sentencing in the UK in an organ-harvesting scheme suit.
According to Naija Rhythm, a British court sentenced Ekweremadu to a total of nine years and eight months in prison on Friday. His wife, Beatrice, received a sentence of four years and six months for her role in a scheme to steal a man’s kidney.
Ike Ekweremadu’s daughter, Sonia, discusses her parents’ convictions for organ harvesting with BBC Pidgin. A UK court convicted her parents of the crime, which resulted in jail terms for both of them.
How were your parents arrested?
My brother and sister were home and the doorbell rang. We thought they were our parents, but it was a bunch of policemen at the door. They told me why they were arresting me, and my first reaction was shock. It was difficult, not just for me, but seeing my parents in that situation was a lot.
What are your thoughts on your parents’ conviction?
It is sad. It has been really hard to wrap my head around it.
Do you understand the conviction and why they were found guilty?
I understand the conviction. Personally, I disagree with it. However, that is from a very biased perspective as their daughter. I will obviously always back my parents. However, the law has taken its course and we have to move forward as a family.
Apart from the case and trial, I am also doing my dialysis.
What is the condition that you have?
It is called Nephrotic syndrome. Basically, my kidneys are small and they have big holes in them. It is either I stay on dialysis for the rest of my life or I get a transplant. These are my two options.
Was it not possible to get a donor within your family?
There is a gene issue. This meant that the family was excluded, especially on my dad’s side, because they have quite a history of the condition. In August 2021, when I found out that there was a possibility that I would need a transplant, I reached out to people for help.
How involved were you in finding a donor, in particular, this young man?
I was not involved at all. It was mostly my family that handled everything that had to do with my medical condition.
